Colorblind
by Santokae
Summary: Icicles harden her heart. She is wild, feral, an animal in the eyes of others. They teach her their ways, but she refuses to use them in place of her own. Unbeknownst to her, scarlet eyes watch her every move. His face is calm, withdrawn, with a voice that is soft but edged underneath. She is drawn to his presence. He doesn't understand these feelings. Together, they melt the ice.
1. Dawn

I curled my toes to get a better hold as I slipped down the mud slide to the creek. My sandals dragged in the slippery goo, but I eventually landed on the sandy creek bed. I dipped my toe in, but flinched back almost immediately. Although the water was icy and fast-moving, I forced my feet into the depth to wash off the mud. A tiny frog let out a chirp and hopped into the brush, spooked by my movement.

I reached up to tug a burr from my tangled, overlong dark brown hair. My ponytail swung with each tilt of my head. It was really starting to get in the way these days.

My name is Hayashi Miyuki. My first name, Miyuki, is derived from the meaning 'deep snow silence.' The nym defined my personality and demeanor perfectly, as I am as cold and quiet as snow. My last name, Hayashi, meant 'forest.' It was my clan's name, which pertained to my kekkei genkai. My bloodline limit was extremely rare.

I had the ability to communicate with animals.

Because of that, my senses were heightened. My sense of smell, hearing, sight, taste, and touch was very sensitive. Wild. Animalistic.

Now, I was hunting.

I crept downstream, creating miniscule splashes with each step. I passed towering trees that cast their dark shadows, easily identifying sycamore, many types of oaks, maples, and tons of different pines. I relished the scent of mint and sugar of their leaves and needles as I inhaled deeply. That's when I smell it.

I froze, eyes wide, nostrils flared, hands clenched. The scent was obvious; it was clear the intruder had intended me to discover them; otherwise they would have masked themselves with chakra. Standing rock-still in the middle of the stream, I slowly craned my neck to the left.

My breath caught.

A tall, vaguely intimidating figure stood a couple hundred paces away beneath a cedar tree, its shaggy, dangling branches hanging above. The face was overshadowed, but what I could see of their clothes had me startled. A long black cloak, speckled with a few red cloud-shaped symbols. What was this?

I stiffened and instinctively reached behind my back to clutch the white tailed deer antler sheds I had picked up to use as weapons years ago. The figure did not move. My eyes narrowed.

I had not spoken in so very long that I embarrassingly needed to clear my throat a few times before addressing the enemy in a rusty, hoarse voice. "What do you want?"

The figure shifted; my grip on the antlers tightened considerably until the rough bone dug into my palms.

"I do not wish to harm you. However, I may take measures into something far more forceful if you do not cooperate." The tone was cool and calm; its velvety center relaxed my muscles ever so slightly. The stony warning edge, though, kept me alert.

My heart was racing with fear. It had been far too long since I had been so close to human contact, so now wasn't exactly the best time to start.

My breathing was ragged. Say something, dammit.

"Who... are you?" I whispered. I noticed I was trembling. Kami, I could stand up to a hungry male grizzly without so much as a blink of my eye, but when I meet another human I start acting like _this._

The figure stepped delicately out from the shadows. It was a man; he kept walking slowly until he stood a mere foot from me.

_MOVE!_

But I couldn't. My muscles had frozen.

My heart balked mid-beat. I believed I had stopped breathing for a moment.

My eyes could not be torn from his.

Deadly, crimson irises. I was transfixed.

He watched me placidly, his black bangs casting shadows over his tan face. His headband had the Leaf symbol with a deep slash through the middle. I wondered what that could mean. My eyes traveled downwards. His eyelashes were long and lush, and he had long tear marks on each cheek. Although his features were slightly feminine, it only added to his appearance. He was... _Handsome_.

When he spoke, his voice seemed to immediately relax me.

"Hayashi Miyuki?" He murmured.

My heart thumped in slow motion; I gave a tiny nod.

His facial expression never changed. He nodded solemnly. "I am Uchiha Itachi. I am affiliated with an organization called the Akatsuki, whose leader has been keeping his eye on you for quite some time. He had studied your behavior and analyzed your skills and knowledge of the area, and has deemed you worthy of joining. I am here to recruit you."

Akatsuki? Suspicious as always, I narrowed my eyes.

"What are their intentions?" I growled, managing to sound tough. Itachi remained stoic, no response offered to my threatening demeanor.

His gaze was making me uncomfortable. I tugged nervously on my loose deer-skin shirt; the hide was chafing my skin. I only hoped I didn't look like a dirty wild animal. That thought aroused, I plucked at the burrs that snagged in my brown hair. My hands shook.

Finally he closed his eyes for a moment. Released from his stare, I drooped visibly. Then his voice startled me.

"That is classified. Unfortunately, you are detained from leaving freely now that I have revealed myself to you. We are expected to take extra precautions to confirm that no one knows of our existence. If you refuse to cooperate, I will be forced to incapacitate you."

I was indignant.

"What!? You traipse into my home one random day and threaten to force me to join some stupid organization after I've lived in this forest for eleven years? Are you insane? My answer is no, obviously," I snapped.

His blood red eyes narrowed until they were slits. His voice was cold. "Very well, then."

His eyes shot open wide; the three comma-shaped marks poised in a triangle surrounding the pupils began to swirl and dance in a slow circle around the diameter of his irises. I couldn't avert my eyes before mine met his. Immediately, my vision darkened and I felt my head hit the ground.

After what seemed like a long night of usual sleep, I awoke with a jolt. I felt the cushioning of something soft beneath my hand. My head throbbed an objection to my sudden movement, and I reached up to rub my temple, feeling the swell of bruised skin with a grimace. What the hell had happened?

I looked around cautiously, closely examining the tiny dark room I was in. Everything was made of concrete. I couldn't see any door, unless there was just no light to filter through the bottom of it. It appeared to be a cell of some sort. My heart started to pump rapidly.

My first realization was that my antlers had been removed from the straps around my shoulders, and my kunai pouch taken off of my pants. Without the comforting knowledge that I had weapons, I began to panic. Where did Itachi bring me? What were they going to do to me? I scolded myself for being so tactless with him. Obviously, he was an experienced, skilled, and powerful ninja, although he didn't look much older than I was.

I was too wound up to relax, so I scooted backwards until my back touched the wall behind me. Now I wait.

Having what seemed like a luxury to me, an actual comforter to lay on, I almost dozed off once or twice. I also had to use the bathroom, but I struggled to maintain my alertness. After about an hour, however, soft footsteps jerked me to attention. I instinctively stretched my arm over my shoulder to clutch my nonexistent antler before reality hit, and I let it drop limply to the side. I was completely defenseless. No, wait.

I could use a jutsu.

Quietly and stealthily, I brought my hands together in the signs Goat, Boar, Ram, and Hare. Then, I brought my glowing blue right hand, forming a circle with my thumb and index finger, up to my mouth and waited silently.

The footsteps grew louder until they halted entirely. I tensed. I knew what was coming next.

The sound of a door clicked, and I jumped, the hand on my mouth moving back into place. To my right, the door slowly opened with a resounding creak, scraping heavily across the stone floor. My muscles grew taught.

When I saw the first flash of a black cloak, I blew.

The massive brilliant blue fireball streamed out of my mouth and formed a long current of smoke and flame, lighting up the room with an eerie neon turquoise hue. My face tingled with the vehement heat, my hair wisping behind me.

At the receiving end of my attack was none other than Itachi.

First mistake.

He wove multiple signs that were actually too fast to be perceived by my eyes, only seen as a blur, and raised one hand up to mimic my stance. In an instant, an immense vibrant orange fireball, even bigger than my own, shot forth out of his mouth and slammed against mine, a mini explosion of dark gray smoke and sparks bursting in all directions.

Second mistake.

His counterattack was hugely powerful, almost instantly forcing my flame back a few feet. My lungs ached. I had to stop soon. But not now.

I glanced past our clashing flames and locked eyes with him. His were narrowed and concentrated; his expression remained unchanged when I glared at him. That only made me angrier.

I bore down with all my strength, compelling more air to pass through my lungs into the flame to make it bigger and brighter.

Third mistake.

As I concentrated more on my attack, I unknowingly put a little too much force into my exhalation. I did not see the edge of my fireball creep closer to the comforter; by then it was too late.

The blanket caught fire.

I gasped, jerking away from the licking flame, and instantly my concentration was lost. My fireball died away to a billow of smoke that quickly filled the little room. Coughing and choking, I waved the thick cloud out of my face with a feeble hand, staggering to stand up and blinking rapidly to clear the haze from my eyes. Itachi had put out his flame after my clumsy attempt to do so, but he blew the smoke in a neat stream out of his mouth instead of catching anything on fire. I scowled at him through the heavy gray atmosphere.

Then I trained my attention back on the little campfire at my feet.

"I can't put it out!" I shouted, dancing back from the flame; it hungrily seared away the cloth, reaching greedily for my sandals.

Itachi calmly watched for a few moments, the tiniest hint amused, then turned and walked out of the door. My eyes widened.

"WAIT! Come back here and help me!" I hollered, voice high with indignation and fear.

He didn't return.

"Dammit!" I flapped my arms at the fire, and wasn't even surprised when all I did was fan it even bigger. "Well, crap," I growled.

I could only hope Itachi had gone for help.

Either that or he was getting everyone so they could all have a good laugh at me.

_Oh my Kami_, I thought wildly, heart thumping, _what are they going to do to me?_

A minute or so later, a deep, gruff voice rumbled, "Looks like the newbie knows how to cook a blanket." A bemused chuckle followed. "That should come in handy here."

Sarcasm. Of course.

I looked up in shock, eyes wide. A powerfully muscled, towering... _blue-skinned_ man stood intimidatingly above me, his huge hand gripping a massive bandaged sword he had positioned behind his back. His face was really, really strange, reminiscent of a fish's. His eyes were small, round, and beady. He had high, sharp cheek bones and a long straight nose. He actually had gills, much to my puzzlement; three short slits under each eye. His headband was unfamiliar, three squiggles above three more, also with a slash through the middle. His hair was dark navy and stood up like it was defying gravity.

When he saw me openly staring, he grinned, baring jagged predatory teeth, which made me jump. "No worries, Kisame to the rescue," he gave a hardy laugh which sounded like distant thunder.

I cringed, but scooted farther from the licking flames. My animalistic instincts screamed at me to flee. But the only opening was behind... _Kisame_, and there was no way I was trying that route.

To my horror, he came closer, easily crossing the distance in between us with long strides. I shrank back, smashing myself against the cold cement wall. Kisame saw this and chuckled at my reaction.

"Don't be afraid, little girl, I won't hurt you. Itachi called me in here to put out the fire you made. That's all. Then he's going to take you to Leader," he reassured in his rumbling voice. Then, before I could respond, he wove sigs too fast for me to see, almost as fast as Itachi, and I watched in shock as his cheeks puffed up.

I barely had time to leap to the side as a jet of water shot out of his mouth and quickly doused the fire. It was extinguished in a small puff of smoke.

Kisame wiped the back of his mouth with his arm and smirked at me. "Now, I have to go. Don't start another fire, okay, girl? Leader will have your head." He gave one last beastly grin before turning and stalking out the door. I had no time to relax before Itachi replaced his presence, his eyes now black as stone. _That's strange_, I thought. _What happened to the red color?_

He inclined his head towards the door, an indication to follow him. I staggered to my sore feet and took tentative steps to him, tense incase he used his strange eyes on me again.

He waited until I had stepped out into a stone hallway to shut the door quietly and take the lead, setting a brisk pace.

Itachi walked smoothly, his strides long and confident, although he did undo the top few buttons on his cloak and rest his left arm on the open fabric.

How could he do that so comfortably? This place was freezing. I hugged my arms around my chest, shivering slightly.

Itachi came to a stop in front of a large wooden door. I saw the old scratch marks and deep indentations embedded in the fossilized lumber. Faintly I wondered what had tried to break in.

He knocked twice, loud enough to be heard but quiet enough not to disturb. A low voice emanated through the crack at the bottom. "Come in."

Itachi slowly opened the door with a resonating creak. He stepped aside and gestured for me to enter first. As I took little, tentative paces farther into the room, I realized with a start that it was an office. I glanced around to see small shelves, stacked with a few thick-spined, dull-colored, ancient books. Dust smothered the exposed sides of the covers, and many cobwebs hung in the corners. A stained, torn, and shaggy black-and-red rug covered the floor. A large black chair sat in the middle of the room, with a large dark brown desk placed in front of it.

In the chair sat a tall man who looked to be about in his early twenties. He was wearing an Akatsuki cloak. What instantly caught my attention, however, were his eyes.

They were a faint purple hue in the dim of the room, the pupils small. Ripple patterns spread out from the middle of each sclera. It was cool, though I was spooked by the sight.

He narrowed them when he saw me. I tensed.

"Hayashi Miyuki, correct?" He rumbled. His tone was deep and quiet, but commanded all attention.

I swallowed thickly. "Y-yes." My voice was small. I twirled the end of my overlong ponytail with my finger, shifting my feet anxiously. I stared out-right at his facial piercings; three small black studs poked out from each side of his nose, six rimming each ear. A long pole jutted through the length of each of his ears to complete the look. Two fang-shaped ones poked through his bottom lip. His dark orange hair stood in spikes behind his slashed-out forehead protector.

He blinked slowly and brought his hands together in a clasp in front of him. "I am Pain. You will address me as Leader-Sama, however," he warned.

"I am the leader of the Akatsuki, and I create the missions and objectives of the organization. I have been keeping note of you ever since I was alerted of your presence in the Forest of Death. Itachi has relayed to me your activity as well as your skills with jutsu and survival and knowledge of the land. I have studied your behavior and have come to a conclusion. I would like to recruit you into the Akatsuki."

My speechlessness must have gone on for a while, as Pain, er, Leader-sama sighed softly.

"I understand you have lived for years alone in the woods. You have kept any contact with other humans at bay, and you're nervous and anxious right now."

_Good guess_, I thought sarcastically, though I didn't dare say it out loud.

"But there is no other choice in this matter. I have chosen to recruit you into my organization, which concludes the fact that I have analyzed your incredible skills and powerful jutsus, not to mention your survival techniques. I appraise your vast knowledge. Unfortunately, if you try to escape, we will be forced to restrain you and hold you captive, or, if things take a turn for the worst, kill you. This group is made up of nine rogue ninjas, including myself. We are currently at war with the rest of the countries, and we are all presumably in every bingo book out there. We cannot allow you to spread word the location of our hideout. Understood?"

My fingers unconsciously tightened their hold on my hair, yanking it, and I winced, nodding shakily.

Pain shifted so he was leaning slightly over his desk. His eyes glowed in the shadows. "Before you decline, need I remind you of what I have mentioned earlier? That is, if you try and escape after doing so.

There are many benefits to joining, however. Your safety and protection will be increased greatly, as all Akatsuki members are extremely well trained and highly skilled. You will receive large and equal rations of food for each meal of the day. You each are given rooms of your own, with beds and drawers to keep your clothing. The base is warmed or cooled depending on the weather; therefore you will be content in every room.

Despite all of the positive advantages, though, there are tasks you are expected to complete. I will conduct a variety of missions that include infiltrating other villages, capturing tailed beasts, and recruiting possible members. There are others, however, that will be revealed to you once you accept the invitation to join and agree to all concepts of the rules and regulations. Do you understand?"

I allowed this to sink in. Then I took a breath, let it out, and closed my eyes.

"Yes, Leader-sama."

A tall, elegant woman named Konan had arrived shortly before I left Pain's office. She was standing on the other side of the door when I opened it. Even though her golden brown eyes were just as cold and blank as everyone else's, she seemed to act warmer towards me, so she was a welcome replacement. I was finally able to relax in her presence.

"K... Konan-sama...?" I began, cursing myself for stuttering.

Konan looked down at me beside her, her cerulean blue hair falling over her left eye. The large paper flower she had tucked next to her bun shifted slightly. "Yes, Miyuki?"

I swallowed. "Is the Akatsuki, um, a criminal organization? I mean, do they... Kill people or steal anything?" I squirmed under her searching stare.

She hesitated before replying, a careful edge to her voice. "At times, we are forced to kill people to prevent the spreading of our information, and at other times we are forced to take food and other items if we are low in stock. We do not kill people without reason, however." My heart thunked at that.

She stopped at another small wooden door, and reached out to open it. Her hand was pale and delicate, her nails black. A large white ring glinted where it perched upon her right middle finger.

That sparked another thought. _Would I get a ring?_

Konan pushed on the stubborn door, old wood scraping across the stone floor with a sound remnant of nails on a chalkboard. I winced, my ears ringing. Are _all_ doors hard to open here?

The room was almost exactly like Pain's office, beside the fact that it didn't have a desk or chair, but the coloring was similar. Black and red. The floor-concealing thick carpet was a dark red, and the walls were stark black. There were a few cracks in the wall, and my hypersensitive nose picked up the scent of mouse behind the plaster.

As for the furniture, a large bed with a dusty black blanket and white, yellowed pillow sat in the middle of the room, spider webs hanging like ribbons between the bed posts and the window, which was caked with midmorning frost. Watery sunlight filtered through to light up a patch of carpet, turning the color to blood red.

There was a rickety old nightstand beside the bed, where a little thick book was placed, smeared with a layer of dust. A tall black wardrobe stood in the corner to the left of the bed. I saw what I hoped was a bathroom door on the far right wall.

Konan looked grim. "Being a female myself, I understand you require different items for everyday use, as we have different needs from the rest of the men here. I have a few spares I can give you. I'll fetch them while you get acquainted with your new room. I shall be back shortly. Do not stray," she warned before leaving me in the dusty room.

I stared after her and listened to her foot steps before they faded down the hallway. Then I moved.

I _hated_ being around other people. It was so embarrassing, the way my voice cracked and stuttered out of fear. I didn't have the slightest clue how to act around anyone, besides Pain and Konan, as I knew they were high ranking and held much more power over everyone else in the organization. Although it was true that I had lived in Konoha's Forest of Death for eleven years, that did not mean I had no common sense.

I blinked rapidly as a pile of dust I had disturbed on the bed puffed up into my face. I was trying to clear away as much of it as possible, so badly wanting to recreate the wilderness I had lived in for so long. Unfortunately, that wasn't going to happen unless I could manage to sneak in a few animals without being caught. As if.

I started as a blue jay alighted on the branch of a dead oak tree and burst out with a shrill call, sounding muffled through the thick window. I quietly stepped over to the window and pushed it open slowly, making sure not to spook the little blue bird. I spoke to it.

_'Hello there'_, I thought at him, my voice soft. The Jay turned his head at an angle so that he watched me with one shiny black eye.

_'You're one of them, then?'_ He asked. Immediately I knew what he meant.

_'I am. It's my kekkei genkai.'_

_'So that explains it. I thought I was losing my mind, talking to a human and all.'_

I giggled. _'No, it's okay. In fact, I need-'_

Suddenly, a loud boom shook the house slightly, making me jump. The Jay let out a harsh call of surprise and took off in a flurry of blue feathers, the tree limb shaking violently after he left.

What was that?

Did I even dare ask?

Well, that answer was obvious.

I sighed. Now what?

A small cough made me jump. I whipped around, instinctively reaching behind my back for my antlers, and then suddenly remembering that they had been taken. With a guttural growl of frustration, I wondered when the hell they'd give them back to me. Then I lifted my eyes.

A freakish, dichromatic person was standing in my doorway. I stifled a yelp by clapping my hand over my mouth, although my eyes widened to the size of moons.

He (she?) was only slightly smaller in stature than Itachi, with a massive Akatsuki cloak draped over extremely broad shoulders. The first and immediate thing I noticed was the giant green... _plant_ growing around his/her head, like an enormous Venus flytrap. It had two different shades of skin on each side of its body. The left was jet black, the right pure white, separating both colors in a line from the top of its head, disappearing below the cloak. Its eyes were a bright golden, and its hair was dark mossy green. I stared openly.

"I know you're planning to escape, but that's not going to happen, girly," the gruff, deep voice made me jump. It seemed to emanate from the black side, although there was no visible mouth that I could see. The white side simply watched me solemnly. Then it spoke.

"Oh, leave her be. She's just trying to get used to her room is all. I'm sure she knows she can't escape."

The soft, light voice startled me even more. It seemed to be talking to the black side. Two different personalities, with two different colors to match. That was so cool. But weird.

I cleared my throat and managed to relax my muscles. "Who are you?" I placed a hand on the open window sill just in case this person tried anything.

The white side spoke again. "We are Zetsu. We're in the room across from yours. We just came over to say hi, plus Pain-sama told us to ask if you needed anything."

"No, Konan-sama went to get me everything I would need for now, but thank you... Zetsu-san," I managed, rubbing my now cold hand on the back of my neck to massage the stiffness away. I pushed myself away from the window and took a few steps toward him. "But I was wondering... Will I be able to get my antlers back soon? They really mean a lot to me."

Zetsu inclined his head towards the door. "Leader had ordered them to be taken from you until you get situated, in case you had any ideas. But I'll ask for you," the white side offered, tone kind.

I smiled for the first time, and was surprised at how stiff my cheek muscles were from underuse. "Thank you." I really meant it.

Zetsu returned the smile and nodded once, then turned and disappeared inside his room.

I meandered over to the black, dusty bed and plopped down, letting out a huge sigh of defeat. What now? Konan would be back any minute.

I allowed myself to fall backward on the blanket. I watched the light brown dust billow out from around me and swirl in the golden sunlight. Faintly, each speck glittered.

There was a soft rapping on my door. I sat up sharply and locked eyes with Konan, her blue hair slightly mussed from whatever she'd been doing to get me my supplies. She gripped a large woven basket, probably filled with the stuff she'd brought me.

"Here you are, Miyuki. I took all the items I could spare. I am hoping they will be useful enough for you. I added some clothing I didn't wear anymore, too," she informed me. "And you'll get a cloak soon enough, if you're wondering." She placed the basket on the bed, adding more dust to the already swirling motes.

I bowed low and came back up smiling happily, much to my chagrin of being in this damned organization at the moment. And yet, Konan was the nicest I had met in the Akatsuki, and by far my favorite. "Thank you so much, Konan-sama. I appreciate it," I rushed, beaming at her. I could have hugged her then, but I didn't know how she would feel about that.

She allowed the tiniest smile in return, her cheeks lifting and her light brown eyes brightening somewhat. I noticed a small blue ball-shaped piercing below her bottom lip. "You are very welcome. But I must go now, as Pain has assigned me on a mission that I'll be leaving later today for. If you need anything else, your door neighbor Zetsu is across the hall. Do not worry about your team mates, though. They may be irritable at first, but if you stay on their good side, they'll find more of a reason to protect you if anything comes up and offer help when you need it. If you stray into their rooms without permission, however, they may do with you what they please."

She seemed to pause and think a moment before realization flickered across her face. "Oh! I nearly forgot. Pain has allowed you to take your antlers back." She withdrew her arms from the inside of her cloak sleeves, and my eyes widened with joy and recognition as I spied my antlers gripped in her hands. She handed them to me, and I had to refrain myself from almost snatching them from her, which I knew would be rude. I slipped them back in my shoulder straps.

"Stay on the alert, Miyuki, and be careful. I'll see you soon." She gave me a nod and brought her hands up in sign, then vanished in a puff of gray smoke.

I watched until the smoke wisped away, and then turned towards the basket. I lifted the corner of the light red cloth, peering in to see the contents. I spied a small green tube with the words 'Cream-Soft.' _What?_ What did that do? I picked it up carefully, lightly gripping it as if it would break like an egg at the slightest touch. I turned it around in my hand, examining the white liquid contents and the blue sticker on its surface. It read, 'Do you have a dry face? Is your skin peeling and flaky? Not to worry! Cream-Soft is the best solution!'

I grimaced and placed the tube back down. Then I picked up a skinny bottle with a shiny red surface. Intrigued, I lifted it to my face and squinted at the tiny print that trailed across the diameter. I read to myself, mouthing the words as I went.

'Miracle Wash helps clear your skin, getting rid of blemishes and sun spots. Simply wet hands, lather into a foam, and gently scrub face. Then rinse off with warm water.'

Vaguely interested and slightly bemused, I began to slowly walk to the bathroom, bottle in hand. I pushed open the door and glanced around the dark space. I faintly remembered there should be a light switch somewhere out of childhood memory and started to search for one, spreading my arms out and palming the walls for anything resembling a switch. My right hand smacked a hard plastic knob sticking out of the wall next to the door, and suddenly light flooded the bathroom, causing me to squint in the brightness. There we go.

I sat the bottle down beside what I remembered as a sink, complete with a silver faucet and hot and cold handles on either side. A rack poked out of the wall, with a fluffy white cloth hanging over it. I reached over and trailed my fingers across the soft surface, relishing the clean smell that came off when I touched it. I rubbed my fingers back and forth, the cloth's softness resembling that of a kitten's coat.

A loud knock on my bedroom door made me jump, slapping my hand on the metal rack with an echoing _DONG._ I cursed quite loudly, gingerly rubbing my reddening knuckles with my other hand, and went to open the door.

"Come on, open the damn door!" A raucous voice howled from the other side. "Or I'll chop it down!"

I narrowed my eyes with the threatening tone and slipped an arm back to rest a hand on one of my antlers. "Wait a second!" I snapped back, jogging over to fling open the door.

My muscles tensed so fast I nearly fell over like a rock when I saw the man standing in front of me. Everything about him screamed 'DANGER! THREAT! RUN!' But I remained stone still and alert as I faced him boldly.

His face was pale, and he had light purple eyes. His long silver hair was slicked back behind his ears. His cloak was wide open at the top, revealing his bare chest with a necklace and some strange symbol hanging off of it. Behind him, what looked like a scythe with three red blades nuzzled his shoulder. As I raised my eyes back to his face, I noticed he was smirking quite... smugly.

"You like what you see, huh?" He asked, voice arrogant. I scowled, tightening my grip on my antler. The man looked down at it suspiciously, and then raised an eyebrow at me.

"You gonna hit me with that, bitch?"

I allowed a low growl to escape my clenched teeth. "What do you want?"

He chuckled softly. "Leader made me come down here to bring you back to his office for some stupid shit. As if I wasn't fucking busy myself, but whatever Leader wants, Leader gets, ya know?"

I took a deep shuddering breath and nodded. "Fine, I'll be there soon," I relented, hoping he'd go away.

But no. Kami, no. Heaven forbid he'd leave me alone.

Instead, he slowly leaned against the wall with one arm outstretched, right in my face, his smirk back in place.

"So, how old are you?" He inquired unabashedly. I drew my head back from him, grimacing from the rusty, metallic stench of blood on his breath. This man just reeked of flesh and blood, of all imaginable bodily fluids. And to top it all off, he had an extra amount of strong aftershave smeared on.

My eyes widened quite big. "Excuse me?" I squirmed to the side to try and slip under his arm, but he blocked me with his body and I almost ran into his bare chest. Ew.

"You look about... eighteen, right? 'Cuz you're fuckin' hot, seriously. Hotter than Konan, even," he commented, allowing his eyes to trail up and down my form. I stiffened and furrowed my brow as my face began to scorch. _What the hell? What does that even mean?_

"I'm... _hot?_ No, I'm, um... warm. It's warm in here," I stuttered, oblivious to where this was going. I'd never heard anyone call me 'hot' before, excluding years ago when my mom told me I was ill after feeling my forehead. I grew uncomfortable as his eyes narrowed and his mouth lifted up in the corner in a disgusted sneer.

"Are you fucking kidding me? You don't know what 'hot' means?" He burst out, jerking away from me. I winced at the cool air that replaced his suffocating body heat.

I awkwardly shook my head. I averted my eyes and stared at the floor. Oh, Kami.

The man continued to stare at me, apparently unable to believe what he was hearing. He growled, "Fine, what the fuck ever. Just be glad you're good-looking, otherwise I'd sacrifice you to Jashin." He flung his arms in the air in an 'I'm done' gesture and turned on his heel to leave. _What's a Jashin?_

I released a huge breath I had no clue I was holding. The odor of blood and too-strong aftershave was in his wake, stinging my hypersensitive nose.

My face slowly cooled after he left, and faintly I wondered what that had meant. Usually that only happened when I had a fever. Was it an emotion? Kami, I had been separated from other people for so long I had no idea how to act around them. I had managed so far.

Oh, right. Go see Leader.

I closed my door and started down the dank stone hall toward Pain's office.


	2. Recreation

My immediate reaction once I stepped into Pain's office was none other than shock. And fear.

I opened the creaky wooden door with a sharp jerk, freezing when it hit something large and soft on the other side. I gasped and pulled it back quickly, revealing a man standing there glaring at me. That's not why I was scared, though.

He was almost as tall as Kisame the shark-man, only he wasn't blue. He had darkly tanned skin, and frankly, he all but towered over me when I accidentally hit him. I stared into his frightening face, stiff and ready for an attack. I clutched my antler.

His eyes were creepy. They were the first thing I noticed about him, with his black sclera and neon green irises. He looked _undead._ I almost made the same mistake I had with Itachi, staring into his eyes like I was threatening him. We all know how _that_ turned out, so I craned my head away with great difficulty, turning to stare instead at Pain. My eyes were wide and afraid. Pain picked up on my fear.

"Kakuzu, she is the new member. Do not scare her," he warned in a soft tone. The giant man, apparently Kakuzu, blinked slowly and righted himself to look at Pain again.

"She sure seems like it, rushing everywhere and not even bothering to apologize when she runs into someone," he growled. His voice was low and rumbling. His mouth was covered by a black cloth, attached to a gray-colored headband that formed a point on his head. The symbol on his Haiti-ate was unfamiliar, two halves of an arrow pointing down. His also had a slash through it.

"I-I'm sorry," I stuttered, heart slowing its erratic pace. I relaxed my tight grip on my antler. Kakuzu turned to look at me.

His inverted-color eyes narrowed at me. "Just make sure you don't do the same to Hidan. Kami knows what he'd do to you," he replied, dusting off the side of his cloak. His sleeve rode up a little, and I saw that his arm was long and tan. I was startled to see stitches criss-crossing the diameter of his skin.

Pain interrupted my rude staring. "Miyuki, are you situated in your new room?" he asked, lip piercings glinting in the dim light. I swallowed.

"Yes, sir," I answered quietly, shifting my feet. I really wanted to go for a run in the woods. _Maybe even never come back, _I thought sarcastically.

"I called you here to give you your cloak. Tomorrow, you will receive your first mission. If you successfully complete it, you will also receive your own ring." He raised his right hand to show the purple-gray ring on his thumb. I studied it with vague interest, and then glanced down at my own hands, feeling the bare flesh of my fingers as I flexed them. I wondered which one of them it would be on.

"Now, see if this fits. It may be a little big at first, but they are designed to shrink to fit your body as you wear them," Pain explained, reaching under his desk and pulling out a large black cloak. One dull red Akatsuki cloud was visible on the cloth. He held it out to me.

I delicately took it out of his hands, making sure I didn't touch him. Then, as Kakuzu watched with disinterest, I rustled it over my head and snaked my arms through the sleeves. The high collar came up to my mouth, while the rest drooped to the floor. Pain was right. It WAS huge.

I sheepishly peered up at Pain, my long bangs falling over my left eye. He watched me closely, his ringed eyes scrutinizing the way the cloak hung off of my frame. Then he sighed.

"That's the smallest cloak we have, but I think it may take a while for it to fit you properly," he concluded. "Now, until tomorrow, you two are dismissed." He gave a small nod, and Kakuzu and I exited, with him opening the door this time. My new cloak dragged all the way back to my room, collecting dust and various kinds of debris on the underside. Kakuzu lead part of the way until he turned a corner and disappeared inside a wooden door, most likely his room. I kept going.

When I arrived at my own room, I immediately noticed that the door was ajar. Just the tiniest of cracks, and yet I still spotted it. I inhaled and at once caught a human scent. That man, the bare-chested one with silver hair and an attitude, was _in my room. _

Blood was about to hit the walls.

I slammed the door wide open, making sure it ricocheted off the chest beside it with a loud _bang. _I saw the man, hunched over the basket Konan had brought me, hands buried deeply into its contents. He jerked his head up sharply at my entrance, his purple eyes wide with surprise.

"The fuck?" Was all that he could utter.

I glared him down, cheeks burning with rage. That piece of crap! Had he thought he wouldn't be caught? I whipped out an antler and stalked over to him.

"What are you doing?!" I snapped, snatching the basket away from him, spilling several bottles and tubes. The man withdrew his hands, still gripping a dark pink container. I grabbed at it, but he raised his arm high above his head and watched as I vainly leapt for it. He let out a raucous laugh, bright white teeth glinting like fangs. He was taunting me.

"You know what? I don't have to take this," I growled, and clocked him in the head with my antler. The man let out a sharp grunt, dropped the container, and fell to the ground with a resonating thump that shook the floorboards. I backed up a few paces, half-crouched, antler poised above him in case he decided to attack. My face was hot and I was breathing heavily.

The man rolled over on his back and gingerly rubbed his temple with a tentative pale hand. His nails were painted a dark green. _Okay, why is everyone's nails painted? That's kind of weird._

"What the fuck was that for, you bitch?" He hollered at me. I stiffened and raised the antler again in warning. He cowered, shielding his face. I was too angry to smile at this.

My voice was low; I spoke fast with rage. "Why are you in my room? What were you doing with my stuff?"

The man peered up at me, checking to make sure I wasn't going to hit him again. "I was fucking bored, ya know? I was curious. Just wanted to look around. Why d'you have to be such a stupid bitch?" I swallowed a snarl and swung the antler at him again, and he yelped, rolling out of the way. Too bad I missed his pretty little face. _Then_ I would have laughed.

He picked himself up and stalked over to me, reaching back to grip his scythe. I narrowed my eyes and aimed my antler at his... area. This time he would think twice before entering my room again.

"You wanna fight, bitch? I'll slaughter you," he spat, standing over me menacingly. Alright, this was getting kind of fun.

"What's funny is that when I was living in the woods, I fought a grizzly bear over a piece of meat. Wanna know something else? I won," I calmly informed him. The man was clearly incredulous.

"Are you fucking kidding me? Yeah right. Do you really expect me to believe that? You're so damn tiny you couldn't scare off a fly." He laughed at me.

"Then allow me to demonstrate how," I murmured. The man froze.

He watched warily as I clasped my hands together in a single sign. Tiger. I felt my light blue chakra before I saw it sweep gently through my body and fill my chest. Then I locked eyes with him and opened my mouth.

It was too late for him to cover his ears.

I screamed. The sound reverberated throughout the hideout, ringing sharply and high-pitched to the point of bursting eardrums. It was so loud that my chest thudded with the sound waves. Fortunately, I was immune to my own jutsu, my ears accustomed to many years of practice, with extra chakra laced around my eardrums just in case.

The man's eyes bulged when the sound reached him, and he flailed his arms wildly before dropping to the ground with his hands clasped tightly over his ears, his eyes screwed shut.

I forced the rest of the air out of my lungs until I ran out of breath. I bowed low, my hands flopping to my sides, gasping for breath.

The man, writhing on the ground, suddenly jerked and went limp. He shot open his eyes and glanced at me with great fear. His mouth was a tight, straight line, a thin trail of blood leaking out of the corner where he bit his tongue. His breath was also ragged. He stared at me, hands still firmly clamped to his ears, and waited for my move.

I reached up an arm to wipe the spittle from my mouth.

That did it. He scrambled to a standing position, scuffing clumsily on the floor, and escaped out the door without another word, much less a scathing comment. I stood and listened for minutes, hearing his frantic footsteps recede down the hall.

Strange that no one was sprinting over to my room after that great racket. This must happen quite a lot.

Relieved, I let out a tight sigh and slowly lowered myself down on the bed.

I heard a clatter on the floor and jerked my head toward the noise, where I saw the pink container rolling away from the bed. I bent to pick it up and lifted it to my face. It read, 'Vagisil.'

I cocked an eyebrow and turned it around to read the rest of the print, hoping it would explain what it did. Nothing I could understand, only some 'ingredients,' whatever that was. I dropped it back in the basket.

That man, who was he? Kakuzu had mentioned someone named 'Hidan.' Was that Hidan? I inhaled deeply, almost instantly regretting doing so. His stink filled the air of the room, pungent with blood and aftershave. It would never fade fast enough.

As I peered through the window, I was shocked to see that the white clouds had turned dark with the setting sun. Already? Kami, I must've been knocked out for a long time this morning. I sighed heavily and plopped Konan's basket on the floor near the bed, then shook off the freaking huge and hot Akatsuki cloak to fold sloppily on the nightstand. Then I peeled off my sandals and took my hair down, pricking my fingers on the blackthorn ponytail holder I had made to keep my hair out of my face after it started to grow. I squeezed my eyes shut as it tumbled down my face in a dark curtain, smelling clover, frost, creek water, and honey from the bee's nest I had raided a day ago. I was smelling _Me._

I turned toward the dusty bed, gave it a baleful glare, and stubbornly plopped down on the red carpet. I was not sleeping in that damned _bed. _I'm feral, I'm wild, and I would not be tamed that easily. So the floor it was. This was so much like sleeping in the woods on the cushy pine needle-covered ground. I drew my bare legs up to my chest and curled up like a fox, one arm draped over my knees and the other under my head.

Situated in this so familiar position, I slowly drifted to sleep, my tensed body relaxing into the soft red carpet.

I dreamt of red eyes.


End file.
